Relistor subcutaneous injection, a treatment for opioid-induced constipation (OIC), has been approved by the European Commission. The drug, developed by Wyeth and Progenics, is now approved in the 27 member states of the European Union as well as Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. Relistor is the first approved treatment for OIC in the European Union.

“The approval of Relistor by the European Commission is another major milestone for this innovative therapy, the first medicine approved for the treatment of opioid-induced constipation in advanced illness patients,” said Paul J. Maddon, M.D., Ph.D., founder, chief executive officer and chief science officer of Progenics.

Joseph M. Mahady, president, Wyeth Pharmaceuticals, added, “We are proud to be able to offer this new innovation to physicians and health care providers caring for palliative care patients with advanced illness. We are pleased to have received regulatory approvals for Relistor from Canada, the U.S., and Europe in quick succession, as they represent significantly developed markets for opioid use in palliative care patients.”

Commercial launch of Relistor in Europe will be rolled out on a country-by-country basis, with the first launch anticipated to occur later this month.